The thinking behind this day conference on 19th November 2016 was that the diplomatic success at COP 21 in Paris was the result of a remarkable coalition of forces, interacting with political leadership. As COP 22 in Marrakesh approached, it was ever clearer that multi-level climate leadership must intensify, to convert aspirations into a level of action capable of mitigating the spread of climate disruption. The vital ingredients in such action include a high level of psychological awareness, since the human engagement challenge is even greater than the technical task of decarbonisation. The conference was planned before the election of Donald Trump in US.

The image for the event was of a murmuration of starlings. This amazing and beautiful example of coordination in the natural world seemed a fitting symbol as we humans struggle to understand and cooperate in the face of existential threats.

The aim of the event was to:

Clarify the contribution and links between key elements in climate leadership

Open up for discussion the psychological and psycho-social dynamics which enable/ impede effective climate action